Harshan Lamabadusuriya

Harshan Lamabadusuriya

Harshan Lamabadusuriya (born 13 January 1979) was the runner-up of Series 34 in 1997.

He was an 'A'-level student at Steyning Grammar School in Sussex. Harshan made his debut in the first heat game of the series, comfortably beating Bob Edwards 55 – 44, and thus became the first new champion of the show following the Supreme Championship. Harshan won another two games without facing a crucial Conundrum before losing at the hands of Paul Wells. Harshan returned for the final rounds as #5 seed. He beat Peter Sampson in the quarter-final with a score of 72 — the highest of the series - following a commanding performance, and then pulled off a minor upset by beating #1 seed James Martin 48 – 31 in the semi-final the very next day, with the outcome already decided before the Conundrum. In the final against Huw Morgan, however, Harshan suffered a dramatic loss of form, struggling for points in the early rounds, and was ultimately beaten 79 – 65 despite staging a minor comeback towards the end.

Harshan returned for Championship of Champions IX, beating Kate Surtees in the first round before losing to Pete Cashmore in the quarter-final.

Harshan would return to Countdown one more time, playing a special episode against fellow Scrabble Grand Master Brett Smitheram which he won 101 – 87.

Preceded by Allan Saldanha

Series runner-up Series 34

Followed by Dag Griffiths

Episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
1908	30/12/1996	P	Bob Edwards	44 – 55	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Sheridan Morley	Rob Scriven	85
1909	31/12/1996	P	Sandra Verhiest	12 – 50	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Sheridan Morley	Rob Scriven	70
1910	1/01/1997	P	John Verhiest	40 – 66	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Sheridan Morley	Rob Scriven	72
1911	2/01/1997	P	Paul Wells	54 – 36	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Sheridan Morley	Rob Scriven	72
1969	25/03/1997	QF	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	72 – 30	Peter Sampson	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Digance	Rob Scriven	73
1970	26/03/1997	SF	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	48 – 31	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Digance	Rob Scriven	71
1972	28/03/1997	GF	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	65 – 79	Huw Morgan	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Digance	Rob Scriven	116
2164	30/12/1997	CP	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	44 – 34	Kate Surtees	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Denis Norden	Mark Nyman	72
2172	9/01/1998	CQF	Pete Cashmore	65 – 52	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Gloria Hunniford	Mark Nyman	85
S7	3/09/2003	S	Brett Smitheram	87 – 101	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Damian Eadie	118